Summary
While I was hoping for a Simpson’s theme and completely animated Treehouse of Horrors episode, WandaVision‘s “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” continues to push the boundaries of television (but not really).
This recap of Disney Plus’s WandaVision season 1, episode 6, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!”, contains significant spoilers.
Last Time on WandaVision
Last week on WandaVision’s “On a Very Special Episode”, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) did 1980s sitcoms right by doing a parody on the Michael J. Fox classic, Family Ties. It was a very special episode indeed, touching on themes of family, teaching the children lessons on not to grow up too fast, and touches it with a lesson on morality. Vision begins to suspect nothing is as it seems in Westview. Then, in a lesson of family ties that bind, Wanda’s dead brother Pietro/Quicksilver is back, but this time recast as a different person entirely (in a truly inspired move, the character once played by Aarron-Taylor in Avengers is now being played by Evan Peters who played Quicksilver in the X-Men series). She recast her brother with a different person and no one, including Wanda herself, seems to know why.
WandaVision season 1, episode 6 recap: What’s a Little Lucha Libre between Lovers?
“All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” appears to be a family comedy parody of Malcolm in the Middle; did Wanda skip over the entire decade of the ’90s? No Friends? Frasier? Seinfeld? Not even Family Matters, for Christ’s sake? Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers as this episode is a big one for the kids, Tommy (Jet Klyne), Billy (Julian Hillard), and the man-child uncle, Pietro (Peters). Their fun-loving uncle who sleeps on their couch, drinks their beer, and eats their cereal is the one the boys look up to; he even shows them how to shotgun their soda-cans — what else are uncles for, no?
Meanwhile, Wanda is getting ready for the big Halloween party in the square. She comes down wearing tights, looking like the little devil she is. They even do a classic sitcom scene flashback, as she thinks back to their childhood days in Russia where they used to be given cold fish in their poor town. Cut back to Vision. He walks down the stairs, looking like, as Pietro puts in, a half chucked piece of corn. As it turns out, it’s an outfit inspired by male Lucha Libre wrestlers and Wanda has a thing for the exótico and she is his luchadoras. When watching this interaction, Bettany did give the Hal feels, played by Bryan Cranston in the original.
Though, something is off with Vision. He comments about this being the only outfit in his closet. He can’t remember what he used to wear or where his clothes have gone. He smooths it over with a little flirtation that Wanda eats up, as she continues to revel in her own little House of M fantasy. Vision announces, even though this is the boys’ first Halloween, he must go help Herb with the festivity’s neighborhood watch. Wanda’s suspicion is up and starts to feel her plan is unraveling. Vision wanders the town and takes in the sights. You know, sights like adults acting strange by staring into the sky while playing air violin with a ghost’s arm that is meant for decoration.
WandaVision season 1, episode 6 recap: Under the Dome
Though, the real kicker is Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) who Vision finds in her parked car, running, staring at the edge of town, trying to find the Halloween party. She seems to be dazed and confused when all of a sudden Vision snaps her out of it. She recognizes the Avenger and asks if he is there to save them. Vision has no idea what she is talking about and doesn’t even know what an Avenger is. Then she drops the biggest bombshell of them all to Vision– he is dead.
Wanda and Pietro at the town square events begin to have some intimate conversations and it is clear Wanda doesn’t trust him. She has no idea why he looks different and he doesn’t either. She questions how he lost his accent. In turn, Pietro asks her the same question. I’ve watched enough television to know when someone answers a question with a question under interrogation I know immediately they are a traitor, spy, or secret agent.
Unfortunately, I was proven wrong as Wanda has a sudden flash, just like in the earlier episode “Now in Color”, where she sees past the cloaking she has installed and sees Vision’s dead body that is no longer lifeless but very chatty. This time she sees Pietro’s deadness, three bullet holes horizontally down the right side of his body, now paler than usual, and this puts my fears to rest that this isn’t a SWORD secret agent.
WandaVision season 1, episode 6 recap: Pushing the Boundaries of Television
When Vision hears the news and realizes what Wanda has done, he puts Agnes back in “character” and heads for the edge of Westview. When he reaches the static-electric wall, he begins to push past it with all his strength, pull the wall with him. Though, he must pay the tool, as the wall begins to pull off pieces of his armor and goes flying back to the Westview territory. He falls to his knees, in pain, passing out, and Darcy (Kat Dennings) runs up to him to help. Not before SWORD agents stop her and handcuff her to a Humvee.
That’s when Billy, sensing something out of a Lassie episode, knows his father is in trouble. He feels his pain and what the wall of Westview is doing to him. Wanda then decides to push the boundaries of television, quite literally (but not really). She pauses the scene and begins Westview’s boundaries. Why? To save Vision. He only survives inside the community she has set up for them. As the giant static red dome expands, it sucks in the rest of the outsiders who now find themselves looking in. That includes Darcy, Director Hayward (Josh Stamberg), and the rest of the SWORD team. When they enter Wanda’s vision, they are under her control and no longer have their autonomy. Wanda, what a control freak.
WandaVision season 1, episode 6 recap: What’s Next?
The only two left outside Wanda’s grasp are Monica (Teyonah Park) and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) as they left town to get help. This episode didn’t answer many questions (or any, really), but left us with several questions or revelations that felt like we received more tricks than treats. Avengers don’t seem to know they are Avengers, including Wanda at points. Is this the nature of the spell she has put everyone in, that includes her at times? Why was Pietro recast as someone who looks different than Wanda remembers? Why doesn’t he remember his past? Finally, Darcy mentioned passing through the Westview wall has consequences and changed Monica’s cell structure. What does that mean for her and will it be the beginning of her first step in becoming an Avenger? Finally, is Pietro actually Mephisto in disguise?
